Waltrip qualified for his second race of the season Friday on Dover’s concrete surface. He will start from the 23rd position, after qualifying with a top speed of 150.401 mph. Waltrip finished 30th in the season-opening Daytona 500, but failed to make the field for the next 11 races.

“We didn’t envision missing races like this,” Waltrip said yesterday. “But we didn’t come to Dover just to make the race, but to be competitive. Obviously you have to qualify, but since we made the race our focus has been on running competitively on race day.

“It will be a challenge considering it will be our first race in the Car of Tomorrow.”

Even with the prospect of racing unlikely yesterday afternoon, Waltrip was dressed in his uniform, hoping he would have a chance to drive.

“This isn’t a big deal to me,” Waltrip said about the postponement. “I am really just excited to race, and I am just ready to go.”

Waltrip started his own Nextel Cup team this season for Toyota. Waltrip, Dale Jarrett and David Reutimann make up the Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) team. Jarrett will start in the 22nd position today; Reutimann failed to qualify.

Because he has a new team and is out of the top 35 in points, Waltrip has been forced to try to qualify each week. Despite his struggles, Waltrip remained confident he could be successful on the track known as the Monster Mile.

“I have had some success here and I really like Dover,” Waltrip said. “I believe there is no one better at racing this track than me. Hopefully we can get me and Dale into the top 20 and that can progress our learning curve that much quicker.”

There is more rain in the forecast for today at Dover, but NASCAR officials are hoping there will be a window to complete the 400 laps.

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Waltrip’s former crew chief, David Hyder, also will return after his suspension was lifted this week. He was banned from NASCAR after residue from a fuel additive was found in Waltrip’s engine during qualifying for the Daytona 500. Hyder was let go by MWR after the suspension. He will return today with another Toyota team, Bill Davis Racing, as the crew chief for Jeremy Mayfield. . . . This is the third race this year (Darlington and Richmond were the first two) to be pushed back because of rain and the second time a race has been postponed at Dover (1975).